The Minority in Parliament has called for a special security screening for all the 151 voluntary returnees and 72 Ghanaian migrants to be repatriated from Libya to Ghana.
According to them, the security screening should be carried out by experts as well as surveillance on the returnees to ensure that they do not add to the security challenges of the country.
Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, Ranking Member on Foreign Affairs was reacting to a statement made by Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration on the alleged sale of African migrants in Libya on the floor of Parliament.
In October 2017, there were media reports about alleged sale of African migrants as slaves in Tripoli and other parts of Libya. The reports were supported by a video footage, which had been obtained by the American News Network (CNN).
Later, the Minister constituted a five-member team that went to Libya to ascertain the facts on the ground and to establish the extent of the involvement of Ghanaians in the alleged slave trade
Mr Okudzeto-Ablakwa also said the Minority was making the call to government based on a Special Report by the Attorney General of Libya, which came out last year in which Ghana was mentioned and some Ghanaians migrants were also identified as collaborating with ISIL and engaging in acts of terrorism.
He said given the recent security threats and the arrest of some people with grenades, it was important for government to thoroughly screen the returnees.
He expressed concern that the government only informed NADMO and the Ghana Immigration Service to be part of the evacuation exercise leaving out other security agencies, and described it as “not good enough”.
He said; “the repatriation of the Ghanaian migrants from Libya should not come and add to the security woes of the country”.
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